The Leadership Study is a series of research studies starting with Jennifer Konkin’s
doctoral dissertation at Alliant International University. The dissertation was designed
to explore how cognitive ability, emotional intelligence, and adjustment predict managerial
job performance when moderated by emotional labor. Past research (i.e., Schmidt &
Hunter, 1998) has demonstrated that cognitive ability is the best predictor of job
performance and accounts for 25% of the variance in performance. However, these findings
were primarily based on samples of students and individual contributor employees.
Current understandings of the substrates of managerial performance are heavily based
on research conducted with individual contributors and university students. The primary
research question of this study was to investigate whether interpersonal skills such
as emotional intelligence and adjustment are more predictive of job performance in
managerial positions than cognitive ability. One hundred and sixty one managers participated
in this applied research from 37 companies across the United States. Each manager
completed four assessments for data collection and a leadership development coaching
session based on the results of the assessments was offered to each leader for participating
in the study.

Results indicated the hypotheses were not supported -- that is, emotional intelligence,
adjustment and cognitive ability did not predict managerial performance. Nor was there
a significant moderating effect of emotional labor. Interestingly, direct effects
were present between emotional labor and performance accounting for 6% of managerial
performance. ANOVA confirmed that cases in the data set were non-independent, which
is that the company the participant was recruited from varied significantly with performance
and predicted 41.6% of the variance of performance. The implication of the identified
company effect is the possible need to consider cultural or environmental factors
when considering studies into managerial performance and that while the effect size
is smaller, the direct effect between emotional labor may require further investigation
to better understand the nature of this relationship.

Dr. Konkin continued The Leadership Study with post-graduate research into leadership
competencies that predict performance. Leaders completed a competency-based 360 degree
assessment, where their workplace colleagues completed ratings on both leadership
competencies as well as performance. Leaders were at minimum a manager in hierarchical
level, most were considered executives. Ratings of over 2,200 feedback providers revealed
that the four leadership competencies of decision-making, influence, execution, and
results orientation account for 57.6% of managerial performance. This research resulted
in the publication of the Leadership Dashboard Assessments now available to practitioners
as a leadership development tool to guide development.

Dr. Konkin continues The Leadership Study with executive interviews focused on investigating
the nature of potential culture and environmental factors that may further impact
managerial performance. Further understanding the factors impacting managerial performance
may enhance our understanding of how to develop impactful leaders.